Get in touch
We'd love to hear from you. Talk to a member of our farming and growing certification team for more information.
Organic funding in Wales
Organic conversion and support schemes are available through the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). Organic payment will also be available to farmers who wish to remain in the Basic Single Payment (BPS). Learn more about the organic payments scheme in Wales, SFS structure, key dates, rates and how to apply.
On this page
On this page:
On this page
On this page
Organic funding opportunities
The SFS is being introduced as the main framework for farm support in Wales. With a whole farm approach, it aims to reward farmers for delivering sustainable food production while improving environmental outcomes, strengthening business resilience and addressing climate and nature challenges. Organic farming is strongly aligned with these objectives, and the SFS continues to support both organic conversion and the maintenance of certified organic land.
Organic support payments remain available to farmers who choose to stay in the BPS, which is currently being phased out as Wales transitions to the SFS.
Please note that the Organic Conversion scheme is not currently available to farmers who submitted a claim for the BPS in 2026.
SFS structure
The scheme is structured around 3 layers of support: Universal, Optional and Collaborative – giving farmers access to both whole-farm sustainability payments and additional funding for targeted environmental and organic farming activities.
Universal layer
The Universal Layer is the core part of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and is built around 12 Universal Actions that all participating farmers must complete where they are relevant to their farm.
These actions focus on areas such as:
soil health
pest management
monitoring farming performance
continuous professional development
habitat management
landscape maintenance
animal health and welfare
Optional layer
The Optional Layer gives farmers the opportunity to go beyond the Universal layer by selecting additional voluntary actions. These actions are designed to deliver targeted outcomes, such as:
improving biodiversity
enhancing productivity
planting trees and hedgerows
undertaking other environmental improvements
Collaborative layer
The Collaborative Layer is designed to foster partnership working. Actions are designed to be carried out in a coordinated way by multiple farmers, land managers, and other organisations at a landscape, catchment or national scale.
Useful links
The Welsh Government has launched an online calculator to help farmers understand the Universal Layer payment available for their farm.
Further details about the scheme, including scheme rules and what to do to prepare to enter the Universal Layer, are available on the government website.
Organic conversion funding
Organic Conversion scheme payment rates
horticulture: land used for horticultural production in 2025, with horticultural crops to be sold (fodder crops not eligible); £640/ha
enclosed with rotational crops / temporary grassland: land within a rotation, such as arable land, grassland within an arable rotation and temporary grassland: £250/ha
enclosed land with permanent crops / grassland: permanent grassland: GR2 and GR8; land not within a crop rotation / permanent crop: £130/ha
enclosed land with permanent and temporary grassland with a dairy enterprise: land can be grassland within a crop rotation, permanent grassland or temporary grassland (this payment rate will only apply to land which supports a dairy enterprise, i.e. dairy animals and dairy youngstock): £430/ha
land above the upper limit of enclosure: land above the upper limit of enclosure is defined as land above the agricultural enclosure and is characterised by its open nature and has received limited agricultural improvement: £18/ha
contribution towards Organic Control Body certification costs during the first two years: £500/year (please note that this payment will not be available to farmers who already hold organic certification)
When to apply
The organic conversion funding window is open from 29 July 2026 to 9 September 2026 for organic land conversion starting on 1 January 2027.
How to apply for Organic Conversion
submit your application through the Rural Payments Wales (RPW) online portal
RPW will assess applications after the application window closes on 9 September 2026 and will notify applicants whether their application has been successful
if your RPW application is successful, you must also apply separately to a recognised Organic Certification Body, such as Soil Association Certification, before 1 January 2027
you will need to demonstrate your in-conversion organic status from 1 January 2027 by obtaining a valid organic certificate and providing evidence of certification before the end of 2027
Organic maintenance funding
2026 Organic Payment (SFS) and Organic Support (BPS)
horticulture: land used for horticultural production, with horticultural crops to be sold. Fodder crops not eligible: £375/ha
enclosed with rotational crops / temporary grassland: land within a rotation, such as arable land, grassland within an arable rotation and temporary grassland: £76/ha
enclosed land with permanent crops / grassland: permanent grassland: GR2 and GR8; land not within a crop rotation / permanent crop: £60/ha
enclosed land with permanent and temporary grassland with a dairy enterprise: land can be grassland within a crop rotation, permanent grassland or temporary grassland; this payment rate will only apply to land which supports a dairy enterprise, i.e. dairy animals and dairy youngstock: £155/ha
land above the upper limit of enclosure: land above the upper limit of enclosure is defined as land above the agricultural enclosure and is characterised by its open nature and has received limited agricultural improvement: £10/ha
There is no upper limit on the area of land that can be entered into the Organic Conversion Scheme. However, payments are subject to the following taper:
0 to 200 ha of eligible land: 100% of the payment rate
200to– 400 ha of eligible land: 50% of payment rate
400 ha + of eligible land: +10% of payment rate
Find out more about the scheme on the Welsh government website.
How we can help
We certify farms of all sizes and types, from beef, sheep, dairy and large-scale arable holdings, to field-scale horticulture and market gardens.
We also provide organic certification for on-farm processing and packing, supporting you to grow your business by selling direct.
Our clients can access a wide network of industry professionals and practical farming support. As a not-for-profit owned by the Soil Association charity, we reinvest in projects that directly benefit farmers. Together, we champion organic farming at the highest levels, protecting standards, influencing policy and strengthening markets, ensuring your transition is backed by long-term opportunities.
Through the wider Soil Association group, farmers can access:
support to adopt nature-friendly practices that improve soil health, enhance biodiversity and build a more resilient, efficient farm business
resources, webinars, regional farm walks, farmer networks, and the Soil Association’s farming and land use team
Soil Association Cymru continues to input to Welsh Government's SFS stakeholder groups that have been re-activated under the current government. Working through the Welsh Organic Forum, the charity and Soil Association Certification are engaging with the 'Independent review of the bureaucratic burden on family farms', which aims to identify areas for alignment of compliance checks across different regulations, farm assurance and farm support schemes.
Financial benefits of organic farming
Going organic allows you to tap into a buoyant market as consumer interest continues to rise, motivated by health, reduced pesticide use and animal welfare.
The UK organic market has doubled over the past decade, and is now worth £3.9 billion. In 2025, organic food and drink unit growth outperformed non-organic by 400% in supermarkets, with more retailers giving organic more space and strategic attention. Organic land in the UK currently represents around 3% of farmland, highlighting a strong opportunity for farmers to meet growing demand for UK produced organic food.
3%
UK farmland
is certified organic. Organic farming hasn’t kept pace with customer demand which presents an opportunity for growing domestic supply.
£3.9bn
total value
UK organic food and drink market
30%
more species of wildlife
on average, on organic farms
Businesses, governments and consumers increasingly recognise organic as a key part of the solution to the climate, nature and health challenges. Organic has a key part in helping to build a more sustainable food system that works for people, nature and the climate.
We have asked the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd, to include a focus on organic within the forthcoming National Food Strategy, as a means to produce a Welsh Organic Action Plan. We will also raise this matter with the independent chair of the National Food Strategy, Simon Wright.
